


untouched by sunlight

by pistolgrip



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:16:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21601363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pistolgrip/pseuds/pistolgrip
Summary: One sunbeam is all it takes to set ablaze those consumed by shadow, or; a princess and her unlikely knight.
Relationships: Mercenary/Princess
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	untouched by sunlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stuntbook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuntbook/gifts).



> jabby, thank you again so much! it was my pleasure to be the one to bring your ideas to life ;_;

A letter lands on his desk. He cuts it open without fanfare, expecting the usual myriad of photographs along with the large sum of money he receives, but instead he finds an invitation to become a knight for the kingdom's princess. An attached note reads _Become the princess' knight in shining armour to receive the rest of your payment. Do not reveal yourself. Continue until you receive further instructions._ _Are you capable?_

He receives this job the same as any other, but the request is out of his range. His name is only known in very specific circles. Whoever hired him for this knew about his work and still decided that this was the best use of his services. He's always been the third party between one man's will and another man's destruction, and he understands subconsciously that this job is an extension of that.

He accepts it for two reasons: the money, as he always does, and the question at the end that makes his blood boil in challenge.

* * *

He not only becomes _a_ knight of the princess, but _the_ knight. His level of combat knowledge places him in a higher skill bracket than any other knight there, and he gets positioned by the princess' side.

He receives a note, its delivery hidden by the night, that only keeps his determination going. _Looking good, mercenary. How hard is it to keep someone alive instead of killing them? Continue._

He thinks of the note as he dons the armour of the kingdom, gleaming silver garnering attention instead of shadowed black shunning it. The common people don't know what the face of the infamous mercenary looks like, and when he stands by the princess' side, they smile at him. It makes something in his stomach curl.

* * *

He receives a history lesson through the princess' eyes, how they reflect despair when she passes the portraits of her fallen brothers and sisters while being escorted to her sickly father's room. Her perseverance becomes a symbol of hope for the kingdom, and her naivety leads her to believe that he's here to protect that same hope.

He doesn't protect hope. He protects the status quo. He protects his best interests.

He never engages with targets, but rarely do targets want to interact with him. She isn't one in the traditional sense, and so he has no protocol prepared for the conversations she starts. Protecting the princess is a long job with no end in sight, and she likes to talk.

He reminds her it's a mistake to see him as a friend more than her protector, but she smiles at him. _It's a lonely life._ Her voice is strained, pretending that her loneliness is because she chooses it. _If someone's going to be by my side as often as you, I'd like to make friends with him._

_You are too naive for a position of power. Of this, I am sure. It is a waste of time to protect you if you continue as you have._

_Knowing of one's past does not immediately compel me to condemn them._ Her eyes are too sharp to be uninformed, and he considers the dagger in his sleeve, the cyanide in his fake tooth. _I don't know from where you come, knight, but your eyes show me a path of destruction too brutal to utter._

He shows nothing on his face. _And if it is true?_

_If it's true,_ she says, pausing to smile. Her smile is the guiding star of the kingdom, and for the first time, he sees why. _Then welcome to my kingdom. May you find something you like here._

She turns away, back facing him, and he thinks about how easy it would be to kill her.

* * *

The night her father passes, he stands guard outside her room. He's never stayed long enough to witness the families of his targets react, and with her wails piercing his skull, he's sure he'll never want to.

After the sun sets, the princess exits. Her eyes are red, but everything else about her is composed, not a hair out of place and her ceremonial garb immaculate. He's stood guard here all day; he knows that no one helped her prepare.

_Have you been here, all this time?_ She doesn't stutter or choke on her words, but she speaks slowly, the weight of her father's death colouring her wind chime tone.

_It's my duty._

The smile she shows him this time is tinged with sadness, a smile he's never seen before. _Take me to the people,_ she says, with that same tone.

_With a smile like that?_ He means to mock her, but his informal tone sounds like teasing from his rigid voice.

The comment surprises her as much as it did him, eliciting a laugh that she hides behind her hand.

The kingdom's guiding star was hidden behind clouds, but she never once lost her brilliance. He realizes now the power that light has to chase away the shadows where he has always hidden.

The redness disappears from her eyes during the sombre walk from her private chambers to the throne. She holds her head high as her father's crown is placed upon her head, refusing to sag under the weight of the kingdom. When she addresses the public, her hands are gentle on the podium as she speaks of her plans. They do not shake, and they do not ball into fists.

When she steps down, she holds onto her knight's hand for support. Her hand is small, delicate.

Independent of his mission to protect her, he thinks for the first time, _It is on me to keep her hands clean of bloodshed._

* * *

As he returns her to her chambers, she turns to face him. _I know who you are, and of the assassinations you have committed._

He looks down at her. For the first time, he's ashamed of his work. _How long have you known?_

_Many of my people have fallen prey to your work,_ she says. _Nothing passes by my court. We knew from the moment you entered._

_And still, your court allowed me to stay._

_I alone allowed you. Against the court's advice, I wanted to give you a chance. And it was plenty successful. Your code of honour is steadfast, but simply bound to the wrong people. You could be a gentleman most anywhere else._ She smiles up at him, as if she had the upper hand. As if he couldn't kill her at any moment and disappear, never to be found again. _As my knight, I trust you. Thank you for supporting me tonight._

_That naivety will kill you one day._

Continuing to call her naive would be a mistake. The smile she keeps on her face is not one of a sheltered princess, but of a queen forged through fire.

_Sleep well,_ she says dismissing his warnings and closing the door behind her.

* * *

He receives his first note in weeks, in the same handwriting as the first request, and dread floods his veins.

_As the princess is the only remaining member of the bloodline, it is time to eliminate her. Do so as soon as possible, or we will be forced to do it ourselves._

* * *

The ashes from burning the note are blacker than usual, eclipsing the sun and swallowing it whole.


End file.
